2022 Bears draft

[Lake Shore Drive]

I just want to fix the damn Oline. If there's only "reaches" there at 38. Just trade the hell down. Has to be our main focus. I am typically a "best player available" guy. But this off-season... just fix the problem and protect our biggest investment. Will ya?

No argument from me at all. In fact, I posted in another thread that based on Ryan Poles' initial presser where he stated his desire to build thru the draft, I predicted that when the upcoming draft is all said and done, we'll have gone from 5 picks to 8, obviously via trading down. We need bodies this year, not to mention an infusion of youth. Going into the '21 season there were only 5 teams with an average roster age older than ours.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Here's an interesting article from Sports Mockery, suggesting that the Bears brass may be keeping tabs on Boston College center Alec Lindstrom:

Bears Have Eyes For Alec Lindstrom Ahead Of 2022 Draft

The Chicago Bears are almost guaranteed to make changes on the offensive line this offseason and it seems Alec Lindstrom has their eye.

www.sportsmockery.com

The article doesn't state in which round Lindstrom would go if the Bears are truly interested. I trust it wouldn't be with our first pick, maybe not even our second. Most draft boards don't have him all that highly rated, at least as far as him going in one of the earlier rounds. His style apparently does fit a zone scheme, which might be the type of player the Bears are looking for in their revised system. But that aside, it appears there's only one true center worthy of a high pick, and that's Iowa's Tyler Linderbaum. According to a number of mock drafts, he'll likely be taken in the 1st round and early on at that. After him, no other center seems to merit any slot before the 3rd round. Now if Linderbaum somehow, someway manages to slip to #39, I'd love to see Poles jump all over this. But it's highly doubtful. I know we need a center, as Sam Mustipher isn't cutting it. Plan B could always send Cody Whitehair back to snapping the ball. But I always had the feeling this has never been his position of choice. Bottom line - Lindstrom might very well be worth a look, but hopefully not until the later rounds.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Finally ran across our first full rounds draft predictions via Windy City Gridiron. The author early on reminds us that free agency could obviously alter his picks. He even includes a trade down, which I've predicted will happen as well, altho I'm guessing Poles will make at least two trade downs, possibly even squeezing out a third. There is a number typo in the article, which tells me the editors aren't doing their job - see if you catch it. But aside from that, it makes for an entertaining read and is worth a look-see.

2022 7-Round Bears Mock Draft: Senior Bowl Edition

After covering the Senior Bowl in Mobile, AL, how does Robert S. think the Bears’ draft board has shifted?

www.windycitygridiron.com

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Another mock draft.

Chicago Bears 2022 Mock Draft: Having A Fields Day

This latest Chicago Bears 2022 mock draft is all about the obvious. Doing everything possible to help Justin Fields succeed.

www.sportsmockery.com

I kinda like this one based on the trade downs to garner extra picks (altho picking up an additional 7th rounder in 2023 seems a bit lame-o), as well as the positions drafted. Personally, I'd still like to see a DL taken with one of the earlier picks, but at least this mock touches on a number of needs, plus it has us going OL with our first selection.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

If the Bears intend to go OL with their first pick and/or take more than one in their draft, here are some names, most of whom should be available when Poles is ready to select:

Chicago Bears 2022 Draft Sleepers: Offensive Line Edition

The Chicago Bears figure to draft offensive line help this April. Maybe even more than once. If so, here are some overlooked names.

www.sportsmockery.com

As it presently stands, with so many needs in so many areas and so few total picks, it might be tough to dedicate more than one to a particular unit, so I continue to hope that Poles intends to trade back, possibly starting with pick #39. Of course a large factor will be who Poles goes after in free agency.

 

[richig07]

If the Bears intend to go OL with their first pick and/or take more than one in their draft, here are some names, most of whom should be available when Poles is ready to select:

Chicago Bears 2022 Draft Sleepers: Offensive Line Edition

The Chicago Bears figure to draft offensive line help this April. Maybe even more than once. If so, here are some overlooked names.

www.sportsmockery.com

As it presently stands, with so many needs in so many areas and so few total picks, it might be tough to dedicate more than one to a particular unit, so I continue to hope that Poles intends to trade back, possibly starting with pick #39. Of course a large factor will be who Poles goes after in free agency.

I mean, I like the idea of trading back. That being said; just as you shouldn't reach for a player at a position of need and opt to trade back in some scenarios. If there DOES happen to be a really good selection available for Oline, DB, or another position that Poles feels is a pressing need. We definitely should not just push him aside in lieu of trading back, simply for the sake of trading back. If there's an Olineman that we feel is a legitimate "NFL ready" starter, with pro bowl upside over the next 7-8 years at #39. You don't walk away from him.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

I mean, I like the idea of trading back. That being said; just as you shouldn't reach for a player at a position of need and opt to trade back in some scenarios. If there DOES happen to be a really good selection available for Oline, DB, or another position that Poles feels is a pressing need. We definitely should not just push him aside simply for the sake of trading back, just for the sake of trading back. If there's an Olineman that we feel is a legitimate "NFL ready" starter, with pro bowl upside over the next 7-8 years at #39. You don't walk away from him.

Couldn't agree more, but it still doesn't dismiss the fact that we have a number of pressing needs and only 5 picks at this juncture. This draft already has the reputation of being deep with respect to the OL, so to say there will be that one guy who is a must grab at #39 - and that's assuming Poles even goes OL with his pick - we just can't speculate at this point. It's possible that a consensus 1st round rated player of any position falls to 39, which could prove too tempting for Poles to pass up, you never know. I'll state again that what Poles does in free agency could help determine who he selects and whether he trades back at all.

 

[NCChiFan]

I just want to fix the damn Oline. If there's only "reaches" there at 38. Just trade the hell down. Has to be our main focus. I am typically a "best player available" guy. But this off-season... just fix the problem and protect our biggest investment. Will ya?

That's a problem. If there are only "reaches" at 38, who in the hell is going to trade up?

 

[richig07]

That's a problem. If there are only "reaches" at 38, who in the hell is going to trade up?

I said if there are only reaches at our personal biggest positions of need. Oline being the obvious one and I've also mentioned the secondary in the thread. There may very well be a player available that fits great for another team at 39. Somebody may like a QB that fell that far. A team drafting late in the 2nd may like a RB, etc.

Come on dude. You know by now this is how trading up/down works. You've been following this stuff for a long time. lol

 

[wood20ks]

Couldn't agree more, but it still doesn't dismiss the fact that we have a number of pressing needs and only 5 picks at this juncture. This draft already has the reputation of being deep with respect to the OL, so to say there will be that one guy who is a must grab at #39 - and that's assuming Poles even goes OL with his pick - we just can't speculate at this point. It's possible that a consensus 1st round rated player of any position falls to 39, which could prove too tempting for Poles to pass up, you never know. I'll state again that what Poles does in free agency could help determine who he selects and whether he trades back at all.

Id rather see us keep our first pick on a high demand need of either the best o-lineman or the best wr available rather than trade down for more picks of a lesser talent.....Fields needs alot of help,give him the best available......

As you said,lets see what happens after the freeagency signings.....

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Here's another mock draft that again includes the Bears trading back. It results in a total of 8 picks, which is my predicted number that Poles will attempt to obtain when it's all said and done:

2022 Bears mock draft: Trade back, get explosive

The Bears add some gifted athletes and stock up on draft picks in this latest 7-round mock draft.

www.windycitygridiron.com

Naturally, there are a some huge assumptions here. First and foremost, does Poles even want to trade back at all. If so, which picks is he willing to give up to get additional picks. It stands to reason that the earliest picks will provide the most ammo for trade back, but as has been mentioned by some in here, perhaps the ideal candidate will fall to #39, making it too good to pass up. Can't rule this out at all. And of course, the most important assumption is that a given team is willing to throw in additional picks to land what Poles is offering. This isn't necessarily a big assumption, many teams do this every draft. But will there be a team specifically willing to do so with OURS. That remains to be seen.

Anyway, back to the mock selections. On the one hand, I like that a number of key positions are addressed, but I'm still kinda sold on using whichever becomes our first pick on either the OL or DL, with again the caveat of what moves Poles makes prior to the draft. Then again, acquiring a likely starting CB is quite tantalizing to say the least.

 

[richig07]

Id rather see us keep our first pick on a high demand need of either the best o-lineman or the best wr available rather than trade down for more picks of a lesser talent.....Fields needs alot of help,give him the best available......

As you said,lets see what happens after the freeagency signings.....

Well, the idea with trading down. Is also that you would be reaching for a position of need, if you were to address it then and there. Typically, a big reason you will trade down, is because you look at the board and see you can get the same caliber of talent at said position 7, 8, 9, 10 picks or whatever later.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Well, the idea with trading down. Is also that you would be reaching for a position of need, if you were to address it then and there. Typically, a big reason you will trade down, is because you look at the board and see you can get the same caliber of talent at said position 7, 8, 9, 10 picks or whatever later.

A GM trades down not only for the additional picks or other benefits resulting from the trade, but he's also confident that at least one of any X number of players he has targeted will still be there. We have to assume that as much as we are always thinking of position - well, at least I'm almost always thinking of such, just about every GM goes with the ol' BPA.

As I've stated several times now, I'm not the least bit fixated on us HAVING to trade back at #39. It's simply a case of Draft Basics 101. The higher your pick is for trading, the more you'll receive in return, either by sheer numbers or not having to move that far back....or a combination thereof. There's no guarantee that Poles will trade even so much as one of his 5 current picks. But if he's set on gaining additional picks and I'm guessing he is, then the chances are fairly strong that either of his first two picks, if not both, will be offered to any team interested in those respective slots. It's these two picks where he'll get the most bang for his buck.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Here's a list of players from small schools, probably all of whom would be late round picks or even UFAs:

2022 NFL Draft: 7 small-school sleepers Bears should target

The Bears would be wise to do their homework on these small-school prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft.

www.windycitygridiron.com

The two names that stick out the most for me are MIKE LB Troy Anderson and WR Tanner Connor. Anderson brings size and length to the important middle spot of the 4-3 alignment. As for Connor, there aren't too many 6.3"/230lb WRs with 4.4/4.5 speed out there. The problem of course with players from lesser program selections is they almost always match up against inferior talent, which often inflates whatever positive stats or attributes they bring to the table. But there always seems to be a few hidden gems in each draft who succeed despite their small school pedigree.

 

[richig07]

Here's a list of players from small schools, probably all of whom would be late round picks or even UFAs:

2022 NFL Draft: 7 small-school sleepers Bears should target

The Bears would be wise to do their homework on these small-school prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft.

www.windycitygridiron.com

The two names that stick out the most for me are MIKE LB Troy Anderson and WR Tanner Connor. Anderson brings size and length to the important middle spot of the 4-3 alignment. As for Connor, there aren't too many 6.3"/230lb WRs with 4.4/4.5 speed out there. The problem of course with players from lesser program selections is they almost always match up against inferior talent, which often inflates whatever positive stats or attributes they bring to the table. But there always seems to be a few hidden gems in each draft who succeed despite their small school pedigree.

We seem to always hit on a small school, late round WR every few years. No matter who the GM is. Wouldn't shock me if we do it again. I think we're definitely going to select a WR in this draft. Perhaps two.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Here's a mock draft from Bears Wire which goes on the assumption that Poles stays put with no trades and takes his 5 players from the current order we're in:

Full 7-round Bears mock draft 1.0: Pre-Scouting Combine edition

Ahead of the NFL Scouting Combine, we’re unveiling our first Bears mock draft of the season, where Chicago addresses some important needs.

bearswire.usatoday.com

I've been preaching to the point of ad nauseum of wanting the Bears to use their first couple of picks on the trenches. I'm still fine with this approach, but with each passing day I've been warming up to the idea of using our 1st pick, #39 at the moment, on a CB who would have a solid shot at beginning the '22 campaign as a starter opposite Jaylon Johnson. The thought of possibly having two young shut down corners manning their respective positions for X number of years together is quite enticing. Could Kyler Gordon be this guy? Who knows, anything's possible. CB seems to be a position of depth in this coming draft, so there are a number of potential candidates for Poles to consider if he indeed wants to use his first pick on one.

Now OTOH I'm definitely not crazy about waiting until Rd 5, pick #147 to grab someone from the OL. Of course if Poles adds a body or two during the free agency period, then it could be a different story. But until then, I'm nonplussed over waiting that long.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

There hasn't been any particular signing by the new regime this offseason that would perhaps eliminate the need by position for our first selection. I know that almost every team drafts via BPA when it's their turn to pick. Pretty hard to focus on even a few players who might serve as this BPA when we're drafting at #39 & #48. I'm still inclined to believe that at least one of these two will be used in a trade down by Poles to add an additional pick or two.

But assuming we stand pat with these two, any players jump out that would command a selection by Poles? Obviously, if a pre-draft 1st round quality player slipped to us regardless of direct need, and usually every draft there's one or to of these who do, will Poles grab him? As of now, I see these spots as our most dire needs:

OL
DL
CB
WR
LB

Not necessarily in this order, altho my take is almost always building thru the trenches first. But I'd more than understand if we use one of our first two picks on a CB. In this pass-crazy league, nothing quite like having two shutdown corners. And we already have one, so a second would definitely be a big plus.

 

[wood20ks]

There hasn't been any particular signing by the new regime this offseason that would perhaps eliminate the need by position for our first selection. I know that almost every team drafts via BPA when it's their turn to pick. Pretty hard to focus on even a few players who might serve as this BPA when we're drafting at #39 & #48. I'm still inclined to believe that at least one of these two will be used in a trade down by Poles to add an additional pick or two.

But assuming we stand pat with these two, any players jump out that would command a selection by Poles? Obviously, if a pre-draft 1st round quality player slipped to us regardless of direct need, and usually every draft there's one or to of these who do, will Poles grab him? As of now, I see these spots as our most dire needs:

OL
DL
CB
WR
LB

Not necessarily in this order, altho my take is almost always building thru the trenches first. But I'd more than understand if we use one of our first two picks on a CB. In this pass-crazy league, nothing quite like having two shutdown corners. And we already have one, so a second would definitely be a big plus.

Altho I like your scenario,ot and wr are my two top picks......Its a shame that JF is getting no help.....Isnt this the reason we drafted him in the first place....cause it was a huge need?
Thats just dumb to make him wait till 23 for help.....

And Im not too hip on trading down for more,we need the better players being the freeagency came and went with no big help anywheres......

I liked Poles from the begining,but now hes leaving me scratching my head.....

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Altho I like your scenario,ot and wr are my two top picks......Its a shame that JF is getting no help.....Isnt this the reason we drafted him in the first place....cause it was a huge need?
Thats just dumb to make him wait till 23 for help.....

And Im not too hip on trading down for more,we need the better players being the freeagency came and went with no big help anywheres......

I liked Poles from the begining,but now hes leaving me scratching my head.....

I know WR is a position of need, but I'm hoping we can use our first two picks either in the trenches or at least one on a CB. But I certainly won't lose any sleep if Poles does go with a pass catcher early on.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Altho I like your scenario, ot and wr are my two top picks

This mock prediction by Todd McShay is right up your alley:

Todd McShay Predicts Bears Trade With Atlanta In Latest Mock Draft

Todd McShay has a pretty good idea of what the Chicago Bears want to do in the draft, even down to a desire to trade for more picks.

www.sportsmockery.com

And it has a little of my wish thrown in as well, being he's suggesting a trade back with the Falcons to land an extra pick.